Abortion

Former Member

hey, just wondering if anyone can give me an idea as to what is involved in abortion, is it a major op? painful? and are there any risks?

i did a search and noticed in a few threads that a few of you said you would have a pregnancy terminated if you werent ready, just wondering if its really that easy?

and also anyone thats had an abortion, how long did it take for you to come to the decision and was it an easy one to make?

sorry for the interrogation just looking for some help as a friend of mine is considering it but she doesnt know all that much about it, thanks guys x

Former Member

First off....abortion is not a form of contraception and so every effort should be made to NOT get pregnant if a person does not want to be a parent.

You need to visit a doctor and he will ask questions about why you (the person) want an abortion - they can't just give you one on demand. A second doctor then has to OK it. They will offer you counselling becuase they have a duty to make sure you are mentally ok with it.

You have to be more than a certain amount of weeks pregnant but once you have gone so far with a pregnancy they will only give you an abortion if the pregnancy is a threat to you or the child.

The actual operation takes place on a day patient basis. I'm not sure about how wide spread the aborton pill is.

Former Member

As with any operation, yes it carries risks, and the risks to the woman increase the further along she progresses in her pregnancy. The BPAS is one of the private abortion providers in the UK, Marie Stopes International is the other, and they have quite a lot of information on procedures and what to expect. Although be aware that with the internet, there's a lot of distorted 'information' on terminating a pregnancy, so your friend may be better off talking to a doctor face to face on this one.

With regards to how easy it is to make, varies from person to person, and how a woman feels afterwards depends on the individual. The best thing to be done is to be armed with all the facts, explore all options possible, and hopefully your friend will know which path is best for her.

Former Member

does anyone know anything more about the abortion pill? also with the operation is the scar big/noticeable?

Former Member

Planned Parenthood is an American organisation but they give a lot of information on the difference between medical abortion (i.e the abortion pill, not to be confused with emergency contraception) and surgical abortion. It also gives a list of the possible risks associated with each here

ClaireBear

Hiya,
There's a lot of good, reliable info out there about this, but obviously as it's the internet there's also lots of unreliable stuff too. So to make it a little easier here are some links for you:
TheSite's abortion info

The BPAS website that go_away linked to has a lot of detailed information that's useful and reliable.

Brook also provide information about abortion that you may find helpful.

Your friend can also call the Brook helpline and talk through her options with them on 0800 0185 023 or she can find a family planning clinic here where she can go and talk to a councellor about her options and even arrange her next step, whatever it is.

Hope this helps,
CB

Former Member

Originally posted by Sugar
does anyone know anything more about the abortion pill? also with the operation is the scar big/noticeable?

There is no scar, they go in through your Vagina

Former Member

Looking back, i feel like i was rushed into makin a decision, because i was almost 12 weeks, so i was quite far gone.
I didnt want a child and i still dont, but it hurts when i think about it-i dont know why because i know i did the right thing.
When makin a decision like this, you have to be sure its the right one,because no clocks can be turned and you will never get the same baby back if you decide to abort, saying that, it probably isnt actually a baby yet, only a foetus, it feels no pain.
I had to go into hospital for an hour to take a tablet and then go back 2 days later. I was then given some tablets internally which i had to put in myself to help my body expel the foetus.
Yes it did hurt, but then there was a girl next to me that felt nothing. I think it depends whether you get bad period pains or not. I had to have a sickness injection aswell.
Once the remains were passed i could go home, and i was knackered but it was a long day for me, i was the first in and the last out.
A few weeks after i had counselling and since then ive been fine and come to terms with it. I wouldnt have gone through with it if there had been a doubt in my mind, and the nurses wouldnt have let me either. This isnt a decision to make on your own either, id really speak to your mum, no mater how young or embarassed you may be. Goodluck xxx

Former Member

i know it might be helpful information to your friend but i dont think it is right for her to get 3rd party information. she needs to get herself to the doctor for a chat, and if she wants to know more about the procedures themselves she can get leaflets from her doctor or local fpc. ultimately she needs to make her decision based on firstly what is right for her, and secondly what she believes to be right for the baby. but most importantly not on what anyone else tells her, and she must certainly not go on information about personal experiences such as pain, by anyone else as everyone suffers differently and in their own way. byny for example was in no pain and only bled for a couple of days, i bled for a couple of weeks and was in emmense pain following my surgery.

good luck to her, whatever the decision - she'll get through

Former Member

Originally posted by J
No sex, no unwanted babies. Unwanted babies know they are unwanted and it annoys them. They can be evil about thier situation or kind. It's not thier fault.

That's probably not the best place to say such a thing, J- you should stick to a new thread, like the one you've opened.